IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 1226

ON LOVE; PART DCCCXV

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God

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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12)

In the last essay we continued our discussion on our selection from the sixteenth chapter of John’s Gospel by way of refreshing our understanding of the Master’s teachings on Love and on the reward for men’s expression of that Love….grace. As the Master tells us through Matthew and Luke, there IS a reward for the actions of men in Love according to His teachings and while this IS NOT seen by much of the doctrinal church, the reality remains; it IS as a part of the Master’s teaching that clearly says to Love ALL that we find the idea of grace as Luke tells us the Master’s words as “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?” (Luke 6:31-34). As we have often said, it IS unfortunate that the translators of the New Testament have chosen to use English renderings like thank, credit, commendation, benefit, praise and receiving a blessing, to translate the Greek word charis which IS rendered as grace in most ALL other verses. While this IS perhaps an effort to deflect the idea of reward, which idea IS NOT accepted by most doctrine, the Truth IS NOT fully hidden; as we look further into Luke’s version of Jesus’ words we find the Master’s summation that tells us to “love ye your enemies, and do good , and lend , hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great” and this Luke shows us in conjunction with the most important idea that there be NO “respect to persons” in this Love….that we should be as the Father who “is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35). It is this same sense of reward that we see in Jesus words from John’s Gospel where He explains to men the way to have the Presence of God in one’s Life; we read again:

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).

When we can see the rather nebulous ideas of grace as they ARE presented in doctrines as the reality of the Presence of God and the Truth of the revelations and realizations that come to men who keep His words, we will better understand the ideas from Matthew and Luke. And, when we can come to see that this idea of grace IS ALL things that come to the consciousness of men from the Godhead, from God through one’s own God and Christ Within, one’s own Soul, we can then better understand that there IS naught that IS carnal in this reward or in these wages which IS the other English word used to render the Greek word misthos. In the same context that we read above from Luke, Matthew offers us the more direct understanding of reward or wages and he shows us that the Master continues in this idea as He shows us that in even the most simple ideas of giving, praying and fasting that there IS a reward, that in DOING these things according to the word of God and NOT according to the ways of men, that “thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:4). In this we have the same idea that we discussed in the last post where we read “if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?“. Here again we find the unfortunate: that in the Master’s parabolic manner of speech and His focus upon the negative side of an issue, the Truth IS missed by so many who attribute this idea reward as to include things carnal. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, tells us this about the reward for prayer from Matthew’s Gospel: shall reward thee openly, both here and hereafter; by pouring into thy bosom all the good things thou hast been praying for, both for time and eternity ⁸. It IS this idea of pouring into thy bosom all the good things that has captured the attention of so many denominations and sects, and it IS this human tendency to see things carnally that has served to further dilute and change the Master’s words and His intent.

None can detract however from the reality of Jesus’ words according to John which we repeat again above; none can dispute the phrasing of this great Truth: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” and there IS NO other place in His words that mediates this idea of the Presence of God. That this Presence IS grace and that this Presence IS one’s realization of God in one’s Life as this IS revealed by the Soul, IS NOT seen in the reality that this IS painted for us in the many words of the Master and His apostles, IS ever a function of the state of men in this world. ALL men ARE what Paul calls the “natural man” and ALL men lack the spiritual discernment to see the greater Truths until such time as their focus of Life comes off of the self and the carnal things of the world. And while the creators and the purveyors of doctrines may believe that they ARE among those who have spiritual discernment, that they ARE among those who have received “the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12), most ARE yet deluded by their own carnal minds and emotional response which IS easily mistaken for that “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) of the Spirit of Truth.

It is ever in the expression of Love, the fruit of one’s Life, that the Truth of one’s spiritual discernment can be found and we should ever understand that this that it IS in the fullness of keeping His words that the fullness of this discernment comes in the grace and the Presence of God in one’s Life. This IS of course a purely personal assessment in one’s own Life as ALL men KNOW that they ARE or that they ARE NOT in accord with the Master’s words and one’s progress on this Path to Glory IS ever measured by one’s striving toward that illusive goal of Love for ALL men, in thought, attitude and action, which IS the essence of keeping His words. It IS in this context that we should see the words of the Apostle James who tells us to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22); here while the idea of hearing may be one’s focus, the greater reality IS found in the act of DOING which is keeping His words. It IS in view of these ideas of Love and of keeping His words that we interpret the beginning of our selection below; while so many believe that the Master IS but warning the Eleven about the persecution that they may endure after He leaves them, the greater Truth can be seen in that He IS warning them about their own response to such persecution and provocation. We read Jesus’ words again:

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh , that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father” (John 16:1-16).

It IS likely in this sense of persecution and provocation that the Greek word skandalizo IS rendered as offended but our better understanding can be found in the alternate idea of “causeth to stumble“ as this word IS rendered by the Revised Version;  and this this has been updated to “to keep you from falling away” and then to “to keep you from stumbling” in later editions. In these words we have the better idea of the Master’s caution, that they should “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” and that they must “resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:44, 39). And Jesus explains to them, and through them to us, that it IS but the ways of men that are showing forth in whatsoever they may do to rebut the spiritual Presence in their midst as He points out that much of the travail will come from those who see themselves as religious. That the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes ARE among these men who may persecute them IS evidenced in the idea that “whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” but this IS NOT the extent of the problem as much of the persecution will come from those that these ‘men of God’ teach in their doctrines which fall strongly against the Truth of the word of God. And through the centuries this has been True, then men are killed and shunned for their thoughts, attitudes and actions when they ARE in accord with the Truth of God but against the doctrines of men. And this IS True yet today where even in our more modern societies men ARE shunned as heretics because their own sense of faith which, while in accord with the Master’s words, IS against the doctrines of men. We should see here that religion IS NOT a factor in the Truth of keeping His words as the Hindu, the Muslim or the Buddhist can be in accord with the Master’s words in thought, attitude and action while being contrary to the Christian doctrines of men and for this they are considered among the ‘unsaved’.

It IS as Jesus prepares His Eleven for His departure from them that He offers them these words of caution and again shows them the reality of and the nature of His leaving. With the idea of “Whither goest thou?“. As Jesus shows they no longer ask Him this we should hearken back to the same idea as it IS previously used:

• In the thirteenth chapter the Master tells them “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another“. To this the Apostle Peter replies and the Master answers: “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards” (John 13:33-34, 36).
• In the fourteenth chapter which we spent much time on we read the Master’s words saying “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am , there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know , and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest ; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:2-6). In these sayings that we see as being translated and interpreted according to the doctrines of men, we have the same idea of abode that we have in Jesus sayings above rendered here as mansions. Here in the reality that many can abide in the Father’s House, in the Kingdom of God of which Jesus tells us that “the kingdom of God is within you“, we have the deeper ideas of the Kingdom here and now and while the Master shows them previously that they ARE NOT yet ready, He tells them here that “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you“.  If we can see through the idea here of go and NOT interpret this in a strictly carnal way, we can see in the idea of preparing as that which Jesus had been DOING among them ALL along: teaching them to see the Truth and bringing them ever closer to the Kingdom of God. In IN the Words of Jesus parts 1092 and 1093 we discuss our thoughts on these words in greater detail and try to break down some of the doctrinal assertions that come through in their translations and interpretations. Here the Master tells them that they DO KNOW where He IS going and that they DO KNOW the way as this has been His teaching for some time; at the same time however we are shown that they DO NOT understand Jesus meaning as they continue to see things from a more carnal perspective. It IS in the rest of the fourteenth chapter that Jesus reveals the deeper Truths regarding His Presence in their lives and how to achieve and maintain that Presence after His physical departure.
• We should take the idea that they still DO NOT understand however as Jesus tells them “now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart“. In their sorrow, a purely carnal reaction, they again DO NOT yet see the deeper Truth of His Presence; they DO NOT even ask again “Whither goest thou?“. Here again the Master speaks to them of the Presence of God in their lives as the Comforter and while doctrines may paint as they DO, the sending of the Holy Spirit IS NOT a physical act nor one that happens in this world of men…..this sending IS the reality of one’s revelation and realization of the Truth and the Presence of God which happens in the Life of the man who continues in His word. And this idea of continuing plays back again to the Master’s caution to them regarding how they should react to adversity.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Note on the Quote of the Day

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

Repeating a Quote of the Day from the past that has some significance in relation to what we are discussing here, that the Kingdom of God and therefore God is within us ALL and that it IS His Presence which a man realizes by measure as he begins his journey to the Kingdom of God. Here Lord Tennyson poetically tells us just how close God Truly IS and how it is that we touch Him

Speak to Him, thou, for He hears,
and Spirit with Spirit can meet
Closer is He than breathing,
and nearer than hands and feet.

(Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809–1892)

From the poem The Higher Pantheism which puts forth the authors spiritual belief. Whether we agree with him or not, the quote if spiritually perfect for all of Christianity as well as any other world religion.

The thought behind the idea above IS NOT unlike that which we have been carrying as our Quote of the Day for many essays; It IS in the closeness that Lord Tennyson shows us that we should see the idea that “God dwells in the inner part of every man” which we read in the previous Quote of the Day. For us this saying and the previous one show us the closeness of the spiritual self to the Father and then too the closeness of the spiritual self with the personality of man. Men may like to think of God as something outside and above but the reality, as we have seen in so many of the sayings of the Master, is that God is with us and in us and we need only to let ourselves be drawn and to focus upon Him. And, if we can use these words from the Gospel of Thomas here we can perhaps see much: “When you come to know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will realize that you are the children of the living Father“

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts

• ⁸ Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com